16 acres of prime land freed from encroachment on Jammu outskirts

The administration on Friday undertook a massive anti-encroachment drive on over 16 acres of prime land worth crores of rupees in the outskirts of Jammu city, officials said.

Over 10 structures have been demolished so far by the administration amid heavy security measures, officials said.

Taking action against the massive encroachments of prime land belonging to the state and Jammu Development Authority (JDA), men and machines of the revenue department, aided by a large number of police and central paramilitary forces, launched a drive to free 130 kanals of encroached land in the Sikanderpur area of Bishnah tehsil, officials added.

The estimated cost of the land is valued between Rs 50 and Rs 60 crore.

The retrieved land, falling under Khasra Nos 308, 389 and 2206 had been under illegal occupation for a long period, with several unlawful structures raised by land encroachers, including individuals booked under the NDPS Act, they said.

The drive was carried out on the directions of Jammu District Magistrate Dr Rakesh Minhas, in coordination with Senior Superintendent of Police Jammu, Joginder Singh. So far, over 15 structures have been demolished as the drive is underway, they said.

The police and revenue agencies are investigating how certain individuals are being used to grab land and then sell it to people coming from outside Jammu, resulting in illegal colonies on government land.

Additionally, authorities are contemplating that all houses and buildings constructed on state and JDA land without building permissions will not receive power and water connections, besides other government facilities.

The Jammu district is facing major encroachments of its state and JDA land worth crores of rupees, measuring over 10,000 kanals.

Over the past few months, the JDA and the administration have launched massive anti-encroachment drives to retrieve their land in Jammu city.